


Puddle Water

by GEGabriels



Series: G.E.Gabriels' Les Mis Sickfics [10]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Puddles - Freeform, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27041794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GEGabriels/pseuds/GEGabriels
Summary: "Are you still feeling sick?" Courfeyrac piped up from beside his best friend. Combeferre opened his mouth to respond, and only ended up coughing harshly into his right arm, "So, yes?" Courfeyrac guessed."Yes, he's sick, you dum-dum," Enjolras replied, Combeferre raising an eyebrow in Enjolras' direction."What did I tell you about name-calling?" Combeferre scolded, Enjolras mumbling something under his breath in response.A kidfic, in which a ten-year-old Combeferre is ill, much to the shock of six-year-old Courfeyrac and Enjolras.
Relationships: Combeferre & Cosette Fauchelevent, Combeferre & Courfeyrac & Enjolras (Les Misérables), Combeferre & Enjolras (Les Misérables), Combeferre & Éponine
Series: G.E.Gabriels' Les Mis Sickfics [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896514
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Puddle Water

**Ages:**

**Combeferre & Eponine & Cosette: 10**

**Courfeyrac & Enjolras: 6**

* * *

"Rain boots are NOT important!"

"Yes, yes they are."

"No, they're _not_! We can just wear snow boots, Ferre."

"Put on the rain boots or so help me, Enjolras."

Enjolras scowled at Combeferre, before putting on the rainboots in front of him in as dramatic a manner as possible.

"Good," Combeferre said, Enjolras frowning, and sitting down on the floor, "Get up from there, Enjolras, the floor is disgusting," Enjolras responded to that by laying down on the floor, Combeferre hauling him to his feet.

"Why do we even need the boots? It's not raining," Enjolras pointed out, Courfeyrac running into the room.

"Cause' of puddles!" Courfeyrac exclaimed, "They're fun for splashing!" Combeferre personally despised puddles. It was a hatred that came when one frequently looked after children. Puddles were the enemy. Puddles were able to get a child covered in mud within a span of three seconds.

"No splashing in puddles," Combeferre muttered, wincing at the pain in his head. He had woken up with a headache, which was actually quite common for him. Usually a combination of exhaustion, and from having two certain little boys constantly screaming into his ear.

"I don't wanna go to school!" Enjolras exclaimed, Combeferre sighing, and ruffling the blonde's hair.

"You have to go, buddy," He murmured, Enjolras crossing his arms and pouting. Combeferre turned his head towards the door, cupping his hand to his mouth,

 _"Au revoir, maman!_ " He exclaimed, Jeanne, his mother, walking into the room.

"Walk safely, boys, and come straight home once school's over," She ordered, kissing Combeferre's forehead. She frowned, for a second, stroking his hair, before turning to Enjolras, and kissing his cheek. She then kissed Courfeyrac's cheek, before walking out. Combeferre opened the front door, walking out with Courfeyrac and Enjolras.

"Courfeyrac, don't jump in any-" Combeferre started, only to be cut off by Courfeyrac jumping into a very large puddle, entirely soaking Enjolras and Combeferre, who were standing right next to him. Enjolras, of course, immediately attacked Courfeyrac, Combeferre quickly tugging him backwards, "Enjolras, no."

"Now I'm wet!" Enjolras wailed, looking absolutely miserable, "I don't like it!" Combeferre sighed, opening his backpack, which was less soaked then Combeferre in general, and pulling out his jacket. He wrapped it around Enjolras shoulders, giving Courfeyrac a stern look.

"This is why we don't jump in puddles," He reprimanded, Courfeyrac looking genuinely apologetic.

"M'sorry," He said, Combeferre nodding,

"Expect a short time-out when we get home," Combeferre warned.

"Awwww," Courfeyrac whined, but he thankfully didn't complain farther. Which Combeferre appreciated, as the throbbing in his head had steadily increased.

* * *

"Eponine, what the heck are you doing?" Cosette turned her head in Eponine's direction, Combeferre watching his two friends from beside them.

"Writing, like the assignment says," Eponine replied. Combeferre looked over her shoulder, frowning,

"That isn't English. What is that?" He enquired, Eponine grinning,

"I made up my own language, the teachers will never figure it out!" Cosette raised an eyebrow,

"I bet Combeferre can figure it out!" Cosette exclaimed, elbowing Combeferre, who had taken to laying his still-aching-head down on his desk.

"Hm?" Combeferre asked, wiping at his eyes, which were growing increasingly watery.

"You can figure out Eponine's secret code, like you always do, right?! Cause' you're smart!" Cosette explained. Combeferre shrugged, Eponine sliding the paper across Cosette's desk and to him. Combeferre squinted at it, struggling to make up the combinations of letters Eponine had thrown together.

"How many of these words are bad words?" Combeferre asked her, Eponine simply grinning, and Cosette rolling her eyes,

"Eponine, you're going to get in trouble!" Cosette warned, Eponine shaking her head,

"No, I'm not! Mr. Lafontaine will never be able to figure out the code!" Eponine countered.

"We'll see," Combeferre said, Mr. Lafontaine shooting the three fifth-graders a glare from his desk, which was across the room from Eponine, Combeferre, and Cosette's three-desk table set.

"Girls, quiet!" Lafontaine exclaimed, Combeferre's cheeks reddening, and Cosette and Eponine giggling quietly. Combeferre was used to being called a girl on accident at this point, despite having short hair, and looking nothing like a stereotypical girl. Apparently, if you liked to read, and actually behaved in class, you were no longer a boy. Well, also the fact that Combeferre's two friends his age were girls probably didn't help his case much either.

"Did you get the code?" Cosette whispered to Combeferre, who continued to stare at the jumbled-up mess of letters in front of him. Normally, he loved trying to crack Eponine's random codes, he found it mentally stimulating, compared to whatever boring writing activity about the four seasons or whatever they were doing. But today, his head was hurting, and he could barely focus.

"I can't get it," Combeferre murmured, sliding it across Cosette's desk, back to Eponine, who gave him an incredulous look.

"Really?" Eponine asked, "It's not even that good of a code." Cosette frowned,

"Yeah, Ferre, you always solve the codes Eponine gives you," Cosette said. Combeferre shrugged.

"Maybe they're just harder words, I don't know everything," He muttered, pausing to cough multiple times into the crook of his elbow. Cosette was looking increasingly concerned. And confused.

"You don't?" She enquired, looking genuinely surprised, Eponine raising an eyebrow.

"It wasn't harder words, it was just [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted]!" She exclaimed, Lafontaine giving Eponine an alarmed look from his desk.

"Eponine! Go down to the principal's office!" He ordered, the other students in Cosette, Eponine, and Combeferre's class giving them alarmed looks. They weren't surprised, though. They were used to the "weird kids" always acting up.

"Whelp, see y'all later," Eponine said, standing up, and collecting her things. She wasn't even fazed. Eponine marched into the hallway proudly, not shutting the door. Her friend from 2nd grade, Auguste Grantaire, Combeferre believed, was coincidentally standing outside of the door, and Combeferre heard a few small glimpses of Eponine and Grantaire's conversation.

_"Eponine! Why're you out here?"_

_"Why're you?"_

_"... Sent out of class… Put the fish in someone's water cup…"_

_"Cool… I yelled bad words in class."_

And then the two freaking high-fived. That was when Lafontaine closed the door. Despite what adults always said about Eponine, Combeferre knew she would not grow up to work at McDonald's. No, she was too smart for that. Instead, Eponine would almost definitely grow up to be an assassin. Cosette suddenly shook Combeferre's arm, Combeferre turning his head in her direction.

"Are you feeling alright?" Cosette asked gently, Combeferre shrugging in response.

"Why?" He asked, Cosette shrugging as well,

"I dunno, you just seem off. And you look tired," She observed. Combeferre sighed,

"Watching over Courfeyrac and Enjolras isn't easy," He admitted, Cosette giving him a sympathetic hum, "I swear, if I end up soaked in _puddle_ water one more time…"

"Oh, that happened again?" Cosette enquired, sounding slightly amused. Combeferre nodded,

"I don't know what is so attractive about puddles to Courfeyrac. I certainly stayed away from them as a kid, and Enjolras avoids them like the plague," Combeferre coughed roughly a few times, clearing his throat. Cosette raised an eyebrow,

"Are you _sure_ you're feeling alright?" She pressed, Combeferre swallowing a few more coughs, and nodding,

"I'm fine, Cosette," He reassured her, Lafontaine taking notice of their hushed conversation once more.

"Do I need to separate you two?!" He cautioned, Combeferre and Cosette quickly focusing on the writing prompt in front of them.

Combeferre was not right. He was not fine. And that was apparent by lunchtime. What had started as a small tickle in his throat had grown into a full-blown hacking cough, and he was congested to the point that his head, which was still throbbing, felt weighed down under it. Cosette, of course, instantly picked up on this, and began badgering him the second they sat down at the lunch table, Eponine sitting across from them, joined by some shady kid named Montparnasse, and a tiny red-headed kid that looked about Enjolras and Courfeyrac's age named Jehan, who was tagging along with Eponine for whatever reason. Enjolras and Courfeyrac's class still hadn't entered the cafeteria.

"You should go to the nurse," Cosette urged, biting into a peanut-butter-jelly sandwich. Eponine, whose lunch was simply a pitiful looking fruit cup, nodded,

"Yeah, you probably should, you sound like you're dying," She commented, Combeferre rolling his eyes,

"I'm not dying," He protested, freezing for a second, before sneezing loudly. Eponine smirked,

"But cha' sound like it," She repeated, she and Cosette looking quite proud of themselves, for whatever reason.

" _Ferre! Ferre_!" Combeferre turned his head to the side, seeing Enjolras and Courfeyrac headed towards him.

"Cosette, can you keep them away from me? I don't want them getting ill," Combeferre asked, Cosette raising an eyebrow,

"So you admit you're ill!" Eponine came in, as Cosette eyed the Hall Monitor, Javert, who was watching the lunch table, before slipping Eponine her extra sandwich. In their cafeteria, you weren't allowed to share food, which Combeferre thought was rather stupid. Sharing food was what kept less fortunate kids like Eponine energized throughout the day, and the food they got from friends may be the most nutritional food they've had all week.

"I didn't ever deny it," Combeferre pointed out, "I'm just not going to the nurse's office."

"Aw, c'mon Ferre, it's not so bad-" Cosette started, pausing so that she could restrain Enjolras and Courfeyrac as they made their way to the table.

"Cosette, stop!" Enjolras demanded, Cosette shaking her head,

"Combeferre isn't feeling well, you shouldn't be near him," She gently explained, Enjolras giving her a shocked look, along with Courfeyrac.

"He isn't?" Enjolras asked, Cosette nodding,

"Then why doesn't he go to the nurse's?" Courfeyrac enquired,

"Because he's stubborn. And an idiot. Tell him that," Eponine ordered playfully from where she was sitting, Enjolras pulling a face,

"No!" He replied, Courfeyrac grinning,

"Okay!" He peeked over Cosette's shoulder, standing on his tippy-toes, and staring at Combeferre, who was most definitely looking rather miserable at the moment, with an increasingly reddened nose and cheeks, and shadows under his eyes, "You are stubborn and an idiot!" Combeferre rolled his eyes,

"Thanks, buddy," He sarcastically responded, Courfeyrac giving him a bright grin that made Combeferre grin in response.

"Point is, even the six-year-olds know you should go to the nurse's office. Isn't that right, Jehan?" Eponine asked, Jehan shyly looking up,

"Yes," He simply said. Combeferre sighed,

"If it would make you all happy…" He was met with a, " _YES_ ," from everyone except the Montparnasse fellow, who honestly wasn't even paying attention to the conversation going on, and was instead sorting through his paper Pokemon cards he used to scam people under the table, out of Javert's eyesight.

"I'll take you down," Cosette offered, Combeferre giving her a grateful look.

"Will he be okay?!" Courfeyrac anxiously asked Eponine, Eponine giving him a few reassuring words. Cosette and Combeferre exited the cafeteria together, Combeferre shivering slightly, wishing he'd worn more than the thin shirt and shorts he was currently wearing. Cosette removed her pink scarf from around her neck, handing it to Combeferre, who gratefully accepted it. They made their way to the nurse's office in a few minutes, Cosette enthusiastically greeting the nurse. Cosette seemed to know everyone around the school. The nurse went through the standard nurse procedures, Combeferre waiting for the nurse to tell him that he was fine to go back to class. But she didn't. Instead, he was given a,

"Alright, you can wait right where you are for your mother, sweetie. Ms. Valjean, you may go back to class," Combeferre sighed, leaning against the wall, while Cosette gave him a light smile.

"Bye, Combeferre," She said, before leaving.

* * *

Combeferre lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was bored. He had been picked up from school three hours ago, and his mother had sent him straight to bed, after giving him medicine, and lecturing him on how he should have told her he wasn't feeling well before school. Combeferre actually hated missing school, even if it was only three hours. School was fun. A quiet house, without Enjolras and Courfeyrac running around, was not. His mother had picked up both boys from school when it was time, and they were currently somewhere in the house, most likely trying to be as quiet as they could. Enjolras and Courfeyrac practically lived with Combeferre, Combeferre's house being a safe-haven from their less-than-pleasant households.

_Tap, tap, tap_

There was a small, short knock on his door, and he sat up in bed, sneezing into a tissue from the box he had left close to the bed, before answering.

"Come in, Enjolras." The door opened, and Enjolras' blonde curls poked out from behind it, before he entered the room, Courfeyrac following.

"How did you know it was me?" Enjolras curiously asked, Combeferre smiling,

"Your knocks are slow, and small," He responded, Enjolras seeming satisfied at this answer.

"Are you still feeling sick?" Courfeyrac piped up from beside his best friend. Combeferre opened his mouth to respond, and only ended up coughing harshly into his right arm, "So, yes?" Courfeyrac guessed.

"Yes, he's sick, you dum-dum," Enjolras replied, Combeferre raising an eyebrow in Enjolras' direction.

"What did I tell you about name-calling?" Combeferre scolded, Enjolras mumbling something under his breath in response. Combeferre groaned as a jagged bolt of pain shot through his head,

"Courfeyrac, can you please turn out the lights?" Combeferre said, Courfeyrac doing as Combeferre told him, Combeferre's headache no longer sending sharp stabs through his head, much to his relief. Enjolras then walked over to Combeferre, climbing up onto his bed, Courfeyrac following, "You two really shouldn't-" Combeferre started, not wanting to deal with two ill six-year-olds in the future.

"It's okay, Combeferre, you always cuddle with us when we're sick, right?" Enjolras pointed out, sounding rather smug. Combeferre sighed, too tired to argue, as Courfeyrac curled up against Combeferre's chest, Enjolras to Combeferre's back.

"Right…" Combeferre murmured, his eyelids drooping. Now he was no longer bored. He could spend hours marveling over the tiny life forms curled into him. His best friends. There, cuddled by the two people who mattered the most to him, other than his parents, Combeferre was able to drift off to sleep, at peace.

**Author's Note:**

> Whelp. It's 6:00 am in the morning where I come from. I still have yet to retire for the night. So I suspect I was only half lucid when writing this, XD!
> 
> I love writing the Triumvirate as kids. It makes the whole process a lot easier for me, since I no longer have to worry about constantly researching high school & the adult world. They're also just such cute kids, that I can't resist. 
> 
> I think my cat can teleport.
> 
> I'll see myself out now. Thanks for reading!


End file.
